


oscillate, shift

by daredvvil



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Asexual Character, Fluff and Angst, Identity Porn, Misunderstandings, Probably ooc, Team Dynamics, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, and its not going to come from the avengers for a while
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2019-05-18 08:42:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14849507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daredvvil/pseuds/daredvvil
Summary: Tony's life is finally going ok. He has Pepper(and he loves her like nothing he's ever loved before), he has Rhodey, and he has the suit.It doesn't take more than an hour for the Avengers to form their opinions of him.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> identity porn in the mcu featuring pepper and tony as the cutest couple, the avengers making mistakes, and bad writing (sorry)  
> (aka im still living in the past and all i want is to appreciate tony)

“Virginia Potts, how does it feel to be dating the leading mind in clean energy and the world's most notable super-secret superhero?” Tony asked, half sprawled on top of her, half hanging off the old couch, careful to keep the hard edge of the arc-reactor from digging into her ribs.

Her hand brushed through his hair and she smiled softly at him from further up the couch. “It _feels_ like he's trying to crush my lungs, but I’ll get back to you tomorrow, when he _actually_ becomes the leading mind in clean energy.”

Tony shifted closer and stuck his tongue out, feeling light and care-free and comfortable as Pepper’s gaze shifted back to the television.

God he _loved_ Pepper.

“Well, as the man dating the world's best CEO and ex-PA I’d say it feels really comfortable, like the prettiest sentient pillow every.” Without even glancing away from the television she swatted him over the head, making him shake with laughter and slide a little further off the narrow couch. With another small laugh he pulled himself back up, tucking his nose into the crook of her neck as her arms slipped across his back. “We need to buy wider couches,” he mused.

Pepper nodded slowly, looking away from the TV and towards the corner of the room, where one of the building's cameras were hidden. “Did you catch that, JARVIS?”

“Of course he did, J catches everything,” Tony grumbled as JARVIS replied genialy.

“Of course, Ms. Potts.”

Before going back to her show Pepper thanked him and bid him goodbye, drawing a smile to Tony’s lips that he tried to hide away in Pepper’s neck. “What’s got you smiling like that?” she asked into his hair, her breath warm against his face when he lifted his head to meet her eyes.

“You, JARVIS,” Tony shrugged and stretched forward to press a soft kiss to the edge of Pepper's mouth with a grin, “I just love you a lot.”

“I love you, too,” Pepper said with a smile like a promise, like she did everytime, and it was yet another thing Tony loved, “and I’m so proud of you,” she pressed a kiss to his cheek, making him smile, “and you need to buy me an ‘I’m sorry for making you deal with Justin Hammer’ present.”

Tony gaped at her for a second before his brain caught up. “But that was like two years ago! And I was busy dying, its not like _I_ could've dealt with Hammer.”

“Thanks for reminding me,” Pepper's grin wasn't the one he loved anymore, or, more accurately, it was the one that scared him, “you owe me for that one, too.”

“ _I_ was the one who was _dying_ though,” he grumbled.

Pepper shrugged and said with a hint of airy disapproval, “And I was the one who had to deal with you being self destructive because of that little fact.”

Instead of fighting a fight he had no hopes of winning Tony shrugged and reached for the blanket along the back of the couch. “Sleep first, then you can tell me what presents you want.”

Pepper laughed as JARVIS dimmed the lights and lowered the TV’s volume, but didn't press the issue any further. She just scooted a little towards the back of the couch and pulled Tony closer, trying to get comfortable, one leg thrown over his, her arms wrapped loosely around him, and her hair half in Tony’s face. She pressed a quick kiss to his lips and closed her eyes, and Tony's breath caught in his throat, because even in the harsh light of the arc-reactor, she was as beautiful as ever.

 

**◇◇◇**

 

When Tony got back from shifting the last of the underwater pipes into place, Pepper was waiting, a grin on her face and two flutes of champagne in her hands. Before the suit was even off she was talking.

“It feels pretty good to be dating the leading mind in clean energy,” she lifted one of the flutes and took a sip, “but I’m still not sold on the super-secret superhero bit.”

Tony shrugged, letting the mechanical arms pull the suit off of him. “Well, once I’m out of this suit I’m back to being little, old me.”

Pepper laughed and met him as he stepped off the landing pad, pressing a quick kiss to his forehead. As she did Tony wrapped her in a hug and spun her around, making her laugh in surprise.

“I don't think I’ve ever heard that expression used in reference to you before, but alright.” Pepper said as she pulled away, heading towards the holograms projected above a small table.

Then Coulson arrived, all pressed edges and faux formality, heralding what could only be bad news. Videos and files on people worth far more than him, and a threat to the world at large. Tony sighed and closed the projections seconds after seeing them, ditching the champagne he hadn't even sipped on an empty table.

“Remember that to them you're just a civilian consultant, we can't have Iron Man’s secret getting out,” Coulson’s voice was even and friendly, and all too reminiscent of the first time the met, the taste of death thick on his tongue.

Tony shot him an exaggerated wink, “I like to think of it as more a ‘Tony Stark’ secret than an ‘Iron Man’ one.”

Before dragging Coulson away Pepper pressed a kiss to Tony's temple, then to his lips, sweet and gentle and barely there. When she pulled away her forehead rested against his softly. “Check-in soon, ok?”

Tony nodded, “Of course.”

When both of them were gone, idly chatting about Phil’s cellist, Tony pulled the data on the Avengers up again, scrolling through the information quickly, with deft fingers and a furrowed brow. Once he got to the information on the Tesseract he shook his head with a sigh. “Oh, Nick, you stupid motherfucker,” he tsked, looking into some of the more complex notes on the cube.

He still hadn't finished reading by midnight, and he was only drawn away from the files because JARVIS began speaking.

“Sir, Ms. Potts is calling,” his familiar voice echoed from above.

Tony hummed and pushed away from the screens a little, blinking quickly to let his eyes adjust, “Patch her through, J.”

“Hey, Pep,” Tony greeted seconds later, pressing play on a video of the Hulk and turning off the sound.

“Hey, don’t stay up all night, ok? SHIELD is going to want you to come in at some point tomorrow.” Her voice was warm but steely and insistent.

He swiped away a few files he didn't need and smiled. “I’ll go to bed soon.”

“Make it before 3 am and you're golden. Love you.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things begin to take shape in falsehood and anger. _Avengers_ , 1/2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this is terrible i Really cant write directly from the movies but i made an attempt.

Tony had barely managed to slip some clothes over his skintight undersuit when someone nervously knocked on the bathroom door. He quickly rinsed any remaining sweat off his face, dried his hands, checked for any light from the reactor leaking through his shirts, and opened the door with his shoulders back and chin up. There was a young looking SHIELD agent there, shifting uncomfortably beside the Iron Man suit, its eyes lit up and standing at attention.

Tony let himself smile, small and amused before meeting the suit’s eyes. “Lets go, tin can.”

“Of course, Sir,” the suit’s synthesized voice spoke before following Tony when he began walking.

Tony eventually found his way to the bridge, the suit a half step behind him, as he interrupted Bruce Banner. The man's slightly surprised smile was greeted with one of his own before he spotted Thor. With another grin he patted the god on the arm, “You, my good sir, did a number on my best pal,” he pointed over his shoulder casually at the Iron Man suit, which nodded its head in greeting but stayed silent, “Truly, a commendable effort.”

He kept talking, an easy distraction that would've probably bordered on obvious for most people, as he slipped a transmitter onto one of the Helicarrier’s interfaces. The suit trailed him before settling at the table Fury's other recruits had congregated around, almost directly across from Captain America.

Then Bruce Banner was talking again and Tony’s attention zeroed in. The stream of information back and forth was almost as engaging as engineering with Rhodey, keeping him on his toes as he approached from Fury's terminal. He shook the man's hand, “It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner. Your workin anti-electron collisions is unparalleled,” he couldn't help the easy grin the grow on his face, head tilting forward, “and I'm a huge fan of how you lose control and turn into an enormous, green rage-monster.”

Bruce’s smile was tight, but his eyes lifted at the edges in silent laughter. “Thanks,” he said, the sarcastic edge friendly and amused.

As soon as they could escape Fury's dramatic monologuing, Bruce showed Tony to the lab, speaking at length about the unique gamma signature of the Tesseract he had identified. When they got there the suit took sentry at the entrance, facing the hall, and Tony noticed Bruce staring at it.

“Is someone really in there?” Bruce asked, his head cocked to the side, his voice low.

Tony smiled. “Of course, he’s my bodyguard and, in his off-time, a superhero. Say ‘hi’ to Brucie-bear, Terminator!” Tony raised his voice a little, deliberately addressing the suit.

It rotated, just within the limits of human flexibility, and raised a hand to wave. “Hello, Dr. Banner.”

Silently, Tony thanked JARVIS’ intuition and understanding of human interaction, relief at the dry tone nearly suffocating him. Bruce waved back, and the suit turned to face forward again.

They continued talking, falling into an easy exchange about thermonuclear astrophysics until Steve walked in, right as Tony playfully poked at Bruce with a sharp little tool. Bruce jumped a little but laughed under his breath, and just before he could say something, Steve's glowering distracted him.

 

**◇◇◇**

 

Rogers was pressing too close, speaking too loud and too sharp, and before Tony could warn him to back off, the suit was between them, nearly blocking Tony’s line of sight. “Please, Captain Rogers, take a step back,” the suit’s voice was soothing, it's cadence meant to relax the tense situation.

The Captain's chin lifted and his eyes narrowed, shifting a little as if readying for a fight, but not stepping back. “I don't think I will.”

The suit stretched out an arm, warding off the Captain's approach, as everyone devolved into arguments, barbed words flying around the cramped lab. The pressure in the room felt suffocating, anger and tension laced through it, until the computer chimed with the completion of the tracking algorithm and an explosion threw everyone to the floor.

Before a word could be spoken, the armor had its hand on Tony’s back and was hurrying him out of the room, just as it was programmed to do. As soon as Tony found an empty corner, the metal of the suit folded around him, the imaging system in front of his face lighting up.

He made a break for the engine that was down, flying through the halls with tight precision. He burst out into the open sky and quickly began assessing the damage.

“Hook me into their comms, J, but keep the voice modulator on.”

There was a beat of silence before the feed buzzed to life, flooded with information and orders from Captain America.

“Captain,” Tony started, careful to keep his speech pattern as close to the one JARVIS had synthesized as possible, “please meet me by the downed engine, I may need assistance.”

There was an affirmative reply and Tony returned to scanning the damage. Most of it seemed to be centralized to a few of the turbine blades.

“I’m here,” the Captain's voice filtered through the speakers.

Tony shifted, guiding himself with his palms to scan the deck Rogers was on. “Good, get to the engine control panel and tell me which relays are in overload position,” before the Captain could get to the panel he forced his way into the turbine, relaying information to Rogers on autopilot.

Just as Tony removed the last of the debris from the turbine, the echoes of gunfire fed through his comms. Ignoring it for the moment, he began pushing the nearest blade of the turbine, gritting his teeth at the screech of metal against metal.

Once it was up to speed he pulled back a little, taking some power out of the thrusters, “Captain, hit the lever.”

“I need a minute!” came the response, tense with strain.

Before he could fit in a reply, his back hit the next turbine blade and the force of the turbine began tugging him down, “Shit,” he hissed, just before he was pulled down and into the blades path.

His helmet cracked against a beam, and there was a crunch as his boot was compromised from a vicious hit. The world narrowed into the slim space Tony was bouncing around, tilting and spinning dangerously as he struggled to get out.

Suddenly, the rotors slowed just enough for the suit to slip out from between them, tumbling through the air for a few long, nerve-wracking seconds before the repulsors kicked back on and Tony caught himself.

 

**◇◇◇**

 

“Where’s your bodyguard?” Steve asked, peering at boot Tony was repairing with what few supplies he had convinced Fury to lend him.

Tony shrugged, “Haven't seen him since he dropped off the armor, and before that since he stuck me in an interrogation room for safekeeping.”

An awkward silence, only broken by the sound of metal against metal as Tony worked, settled in the room, and Tony barely refrained from rolling his eyes. After a few uncomfortable minutes slipped by Steve seemed to find his voice. “You're our sponsor?”

“Something like that,” his tone sounded bitter even to himself, and he just barely caught the disapproving dip of Steve’s brow before it smoothed out. Tony couldn't find it in him to care though, could only focus on the scared part of himself that insisted he owed Coulson his life and the bigger part that just wanted to dial Pepper's number and ask her to turn her flight around and come back to New York.

Steve’s neutral face shifted into an odd expression before he spoke again. “Why does he still work as a bodyguard?”

Another shrug, and Tony pushed the boot away, mostly done, especially with the mediocre tools he was using. “I don't know,” he admitted, barely suppressing a small grin, “I guess he just likes the benefits of being a Stark employee.”

“And what would those be?”

“Just the usual, you know,” Tony gave Steve a lazy grin, “a little extra since we work so closely. The newest Stark tech, excellent health coverage, the chance to meet the esteemed Pepper Potts.”

The semi-neutral expression on Steve's face shifted into a frown, eyes narrowed like Tony had personally offended him, “This isn't a joke, Stark. He could be doing a lot more good if he didn’t spend half his time protecting you.”

Tony sighed and straightened his shoulders, turning fully from his workspace to face Steve head on. “He has handled his duties here fine, he restarted the engine and apprehended Loki when you couldn't. Until he fails to help people while keeping me safe, I don't see a problem, especially if this is the occupation he chose.”

With a curt nod Tony scooped the boot under his arm, straining a little under its weight, and stomped out of the room, not even bothering to see what Steve's reaction was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please comment and hit me with any of your thoughts!!!

**Author's Note:**

> [find me on tumbr](https://starkdocx.tumblr.com)


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